“The kinetic artwork in the foyer of the Merck Innovation Center is a dynamic and sculptural installation.
It animates the space with an inspiring and identity-establishing choreography.”

A project by ART+COM Studios, commissioned by Henn Architecture, in collaboration with schnellebuntebilder.

Inspiration Wall is a spatial kinetic installation situated in the foyer of the Innovation Center. Being processual, dynamic and interactive, the installation symbolizes the interplay between inspiration and innovation, and giving the foyer its unique identity.

The dynamic interaction between the physical movement of the screens and the virtual movement of the images follows a generative choreography. The screens interact with the moving images and vice versa.

The kinetic installation expands across almost 18 meters of slightly convex wall space and consists of 72 screens, arranged in 24 rows of 3 screens each. These screens move individually on a vertical axis.

The moving images are created processually and in real-time, within a predefined spectrum. The numerous scenes are generated on the basis of ten ‘visual worlds’. Their generative elements create ever-changing visuals. The abstract imagery is inspired by four material properties – crystalline, cellular, molecular, and fluid. Four graphic ‘transitions’ seamlessly interconnect the individual scenes.

The installation changes its appearance over the course of the day. Depending on the scene, the installation responds to the visitors. With more people moving through the foyer, the dynamics of the choreography increase. The special screens shine brighter at the onset of darkness, making the installation protrusive to viewers outside the building. With the decline in numbers of visitors towards the end of the day, the choreography calms down.

Typographic content is added to the flow of images. These consist of short announcements by the Innovation Center, limited to 140 characters as well as the latest hashtags from selected Twitter Channels used by Merck.